Railway-crossing signal



` www@ 2 Sheets-Sheet l W". R DAVE@ RAILWAY CROSS ING S IGNAL Filed Aug'. .29, 1927 pri 235; 192g, -`W, [Q @AWS v v1,710,408

RAILWAY CROSSING SXGNAL Filed Aug. 29, 19.27 2 sheets-sheet 5` preferably ofthe visual type,

p-.is'ses the crossing, will restore with my system applied Fig. isa plan View o my system-applied thereto;

Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

f UNITED STA.

' WILLIAM R.Devis,. ilor sPARTA'NBURca SOUTH CAROLINA.

PATENT. oriircis.

RArLviraY-enossniie"sientan.l

Application-tiled August 29, 1927.' Serial N'o. 216,233.

The-object of this invention .is to provide a simple electrical apparatus whereby a train approaching a highway-crossing will automatically 'operate `a traflic signal,

and, when it .the 'signal Fig'. 1

is aplan viewl of a double track thereto; I t a single track with Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly 1n section of a preferred forni of electric lamp signal;

rig. 4

release-box Fig- 5 release-switch Fig. G

is a Vertical sectional'view of the is' a detail perspective view of the is a vertical sectional view taken through the signal-setting-box; g

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the saine;

Fig. 8

{lange-operated In the Asetting-noxes; 11,

releasing is a detail perspective View of the device in'the setting-box.

drawing, 10 designates the signalthe signal-restoring or d 12,' the -light signal boxes; an

which may be located at any point where it .may be readily -seen by the tracklied .'from highway-crossing.

be placed' crossing,

any suitable d 'Illia two persons approaching either direction on the The setting-box 10 is to any suitable distance from the and tho. liox 11. is to be placed :it listance beyond the crossing. boxes and the signal are connected by two wire conductors 13.

'lhe signal-setting appliance consists of a.

ciisiugll which is adapted to be bolted to a railway-tie through a which is Which` curves upwardly so as to. lie

path of arm, the

alongside the rail.l Projecting slot in the side wall of the casing closestto the rail is an arm 15 in the the'langes 4of the Wheels on the 'so that, as a Wheel passes this arin will be swung forwardly?. 'far enough topermit the Wheel-flange to pass.

This arm 15 'is p'rovi 16 -tvhich this box bottoni o To hol ded `with a curved guide anion arcuate slots the casing 14. the u the/cover 16 of ed in the works in comp sind the other beingforiu f thelbox. d the arm 15 in normal position,

i. e.,'at right angles to the rail, I employ a flat sprin 18 whose inner end enters a socket 19 forme in the adjacent face of the guide 16 and Whose outer end is rigidly Aanchored to the outer'v'all ot'- the box 17. To add ilexibility to the spring arrangementl and at the same time make the spring action strong enough to prevent the .arm l5' being swung back-and-forth manually, by mischievous .-persons, I yeinploya pairiof coil-springs 20, one being on either sidel of thelat spring f 18. ,The innerends of thesel coil-springs" bear on opposite' sides ofthe flat spring- 18 withl equal pressure, and their outer ends engage' the side Walls of the box 17, suitable projections 21 being employed onthe spring 18 and box 17 to hold these coil-springs in position. It will be observed that with this spring arrangement, the arm 1t strongly tends to return to normal, operative posintion after it is swung in either direction.

An ariii 22 is attached to the. guide 16 and extends through the opposite slot inthe bottom thereof und outwardly toa point blick of the box 17. When the armaV 15Ais swung forwardly by the wheel-flaug, the

outer end ot' this arm 22 closes an .electric switch 23 and thus lights the Warning'signal which, :is stated. is iii circuiti; through the medium of cpnductors 13, with this switch, it. being of course understood that either fa local battery orcurrent from a nearby i'ii'an muy be used to light the signal.

'lo maintain the circuit in closed condition after the switch 23 is closed, I 'employa latch 34 which is pulled down by a magnet 25 when the circuit is closed, thus putting the hook-end 26 of the latch into engagement behind a shoulder 27 formed on the adjacent end of the guide 16, thereby locking the arm -15 in abnormal position and holding the circuit closed until the magnet 25 is'deenerygized by breaking the circuit at the releasebox-further on on the track-bed. The latch 24 is provided with a spring28 which normally tends to lift the latch out of engagement with the shoulder 2.7, so that, when the inagnetlis'deenergized, tlie latch will fly up and the flange-arm v15 will swingvrback to normal position. n The release-box is constructed substantially the same as thel setting-lnx except thzt thel lati'hing magnet '25 is unnecessary and, instead oi :i circuit-closer, I mustl employ a ciriuit-opqnvr. as shown at 29, As a warriing,r signal, l have shown an electric lamp les iio

lli

mounted in a casing iii-Whose walls is mountductors 13 may be housed in galvanized con.

= duitser lead cables andi-that these conduits 'ing ada alongsi or cables will he connected to the Gast-iron switch-boxes and light-casing; the conduits or cables heilig arranged along the' rails, as

shown, and held in position with metal clamps fastened to the crossties.

, W iat I claim as new is :n

1; .In a railwa crossing appliance, acasted to e fastenedto the roadbed e'thel rail, an arm Working through a slot in said casing adjacent totherail ladapted to be vactuated by a passing wheel- 'device carried by said guide, the

flange, a curved guide carried by saidarin, arcuate guide-ways for said curved guide, a spring appliance for normally holding said arm in operative position, av switch-closing and an electromagnetic latehing device adapted to engage .and hold said guide in abnormal position when said lswitch is closed. s-

2. In a railway-crossing signal system, ai

casing adapted to be fastened to the roadbed alongside a rail, a flange-operated arm pro- 'jee-ting through a slot in said casing lying in the path ofthe wheel-Harige, a curved guide 'attached to said arm and meanswithin the. v casing'for guiding said guide in en arcuateA path, spring devices for holding said guide and saidarm in normal operative position,-

-and a switch-actuating element attached to said guide so as to be moved therewith.

In testimony whereofg'hereunto aifix my signature. l

WILLIAM R. DAVIS. 

